Arnoraja

Arnoraja (IAST: Arṇorāja, r. c. 1135–1150 CE) was an Indian king belonging to the Shakambhari Chahamana dynasty.

[1] The Bijolia rock inscription boasts that Arnoraja humiliated Nirvvana-Naryana, which was an epithet of the Paramara ruler Naravarman.

Their invasion rendered the waters of the Kalindi river muddy, and caused the women of that country to shed tears.

After defeating these invaders, Arnoraja purified the place of their death by commissioning a lake, which is identified with the modern Ana Sagar.

[5] Historian H. C. Ray theorized that the Muslim invaders defeated by Arnoraja were the Yamini (Ghaznavid) generals of Lahore.

The 13th century Muslim chronicle Tabaqat-i Nasiri states that a chief named Muhammad Bahalim once revolted against Bahram Shah.

[7] Arnoraja's reign saw a revival of the Chahamana-Chaulukya conflict, probably as a result of their attempts to control the weakening Paramara kingdom of Malwa.

[9] After Jayasimha's death, a war of succession took place between his nominee and adopted son Chahada (also Bahada or Charudatta), and his relative Kumarapala.

[11] According to Merutunga, the author of Prabandha Chintamani, Arnoraja attacked Gujarat because he thought of Kumarapala as a weaker ruler than Jayasimha.

[18] Rajashekhara's Prabandha Kosha states that while taking away a pawn of his wife, Arnoraja remarked "Kill these Mundikas" in jest.

[18] A. K. Majumdar pointed out that Kumarapala converted to Jainism at a later date, so the legend about his sister getting offended by Arnoraja appears to be historically inaccurate.

[13] According to Dasharatha Sharma, Devalladevi is a fictional character created by either Rajashekhara or another Jain writer, as none of the chronicles written before 14th century mention her.

[20] According to Majumdar, Arnoraja probably invaded the Chaulukya kingdom taking advantage of Kumarapala's involvement in other conflicts.

Historian R. B. Singh points out that Kannauj was ruled by the Gahadavala king Govindachandra, and it would not have been an easy task for Arnoraja to attack such a powerful kingdom.

Sharma theorizes that the Varana kingdom was ruled by Dod Rajputs, whose king was either Sahajaditya or Bhojadeva.